Reebigkeratok



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELISHA DEXTER, OF HOLMES HOLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

REFRIGERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 32,987, dated August 6, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELISHA DEXTER, of Holmes Hole, in the county of Dukes and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Refrigerator for Preserving Meats, Vegetables, &c.; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following` specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l, denotes a side elevation, Fig. 2, a vertical and central section, and Fig. 3, a bottom view of my refrigerator. Fig. 4, a top view of the ice stand. Fig. 5, a bottom view of the vapor or air chamber.

The nature of my invention consists in an improved refrigerator, as constructed not only with an air refrigerating chamber in the bottom of the refrigerator (whereby the air is chilled before it' enters the interior of the refrigerator) but with an odor and vapor chamber in the cover of the refrigerator, the lower surface of such chamber being constructed of cloth or other equivalent absorbent material whereby as fast as the air within the refrigerator may become rareed it will be absorbed by such material and not be reflected back upon the articles within the refrigerator so as to render them damp, as would be the case were the cover made air tight.

It is a fact well known that in order to preserve meat and various articles of food in a sweet normal state during the summer season that such articles must not be placed in an air tight box, where ventilation is entirely excluded, and it is conceded by physicians that provisions are rendered very unwholesome by being confined in an apartment or chest in which the air is not constantly and eiiiciently changed, as the moisture or vapor (instead of passing olf) becomes deposited on the articles of food, and thereby tends to promote decay and besides the odors or flavors of different articles (instead of being suffered to escape) are refiected back and mutually impregnate such articles. It is also well known that when common atmospheric air is admitted into the ice chamber such air circulating around the exterior mass of ice causes it to melt much faster than if such air were chilled before coming in contact with the ice.

To remedy the above defects and at the same time produce a refrigerator which shall not only be economical in the consumption of ice, but come within the means of most persons has been the object of my invention.

In the drawings above mentioned, A, denotes a rectangular box or case made with a cover or lid B, so as to be capable of being turned upward in manner to uncover the chamber or refrigerating space C, within the case. In constructing the said case I make it of wood or any proper material and within the same and near its bottom, I place an ice supporter or stand D, as seen in Fig. 3. Through this stand a series of vertical holes a, a, &c., are made for the purpose of admitting cold air into the refrigerating chamber as well as of allowing the water to run off as fast as liquefaction may take lace. Between the said ice supporter and the bottom Z), of the case A, there is a space or chamber E, which is filled with ,tan or other equivalent absorbent material, the same being closely packed and being for the purpose of forming a chilling medium for the air to pass through before it enters the interior of the refrigerator and comes in contact with the ice, the tan by continued flowage of the water through it, being thoroughly impregnated therewith, and thus forms a cold stratumby which the air is chilled in passing through it. The bottom b, of the case is provided with one or more orifices d, through which the surplus water may be discharged into a vessel placed underneath it while at the same time it admits the air to pass into the refrigerating air chamber E.

B. is the cover or lid, the top of which as well as the sides are made of wood. To the edges of the said cover one or more layers cf thick cloth or canvas cl, are fastened by tacks, or in any other proper manner, the said cloth extending entirely across the bottom of the cover, and besides the layer or layers of cloth are attached to a rectangular frame G, which has an odor and vapor discharging opening H, in its middle the said frame being of a size just sufficient to enter the flanges c, e, c, c, of the refrigerator so that when the lid is down upon the case A, the said flanges may extend into the space between the sides of the cover and the frame Gr, and make an air tight oint. The height of the cover or the sides thereof should be such as to allow a sufficient space for an air chamber between the top and bottom of the cover the said sides having a series of oriiices or register holes f, f, formed in them.

The object of making the bottom of the cover of layers of cloth is, to absorb all the moisture and vapor that may arise within the refrigerating chamber and allow the same and the odor of the articles in such chamber to pass off as it is well known that dryness of the air is as necessary to preserve provisions in a sweet state as coldness. Were the top of the refrigerator made air tight this would not be the case, as the vapor arising fromthe liquefaction of the water as well as the odor would not only be retained in the case A, (thus not only keeping the air in a moist state) but` cause the fiavors or odors of the different articles to be refiected back and mutually impregnate each other.

The action of my refrigerator in producing a circulation of the air is purely automatic. The air enters through the foraminous bottom of the case A, into the chamber B, and in passing through the cold stratum of such chamber becomes completely chilled before passing upward into the ice chamber, the continual melting of the ice maintaining this stratum at a very low temperature. The cold air entering the ice chamber at its lowest part, of course must cause the lighter air and gases or vapor to ascend and as they ascend they are absorbed by the material placed in the bottom of the cover, and as the air in the chamber H, is warmer than the air in the refrigerator, such odor and vapor will. pass into said chamber from which they will escape into the atmosphere. Thus there will be a continual circulation of the air as long as the air in the chamber E, is warmer than that within the refrigerator.

A refrigerator constructed as above described has been found by experience to possess several import-ant advantages. lst. It keeps the air in the refrigerator in a dry state. 2nd. It maintains the air in the refrigerator at a very low temperature. 3rd. It allows the vapors and odors to pass off without being reflected back upon the articles within the refrigerator. 4th. It can be afforded at about half the expense of an ordinary ice chest. 5th. It is very economical as regards the consumption of the ice.

I claim- My improved refrigerator having its several parts constructed and arranged in relation to each other and so as to operate together substantially in manner as set forth.

ELlSHA DEXTER. l/Vitnesses:

BARTLETT ALLEN,

s. JOHN H. LAMBERT. 

